Rays’ Shane McClanahan is always working on something
CINCINNATI — Part of the reason top starter Shane McClanahan has been so good for the Rays this season is that, despite his success, he always thinks there is something he can do better.
So when he takes the mound Friday against the Reds, he is determined to address what he considers the flaw of allowing the Blue Jays to get two hits and an actual run in a 15-pitch first inning on Saturday.
“I think early on I’ve really got to be a little more efficient with my pitches,” McClanahan said. “First inning, they jumped me. I wasn’t as sharp as I could have been. So I think that’s just something for me, going into my next start, trying to prepare a little more coming out of the bullpen.”
McClanahan has done much more good than bad this season, running up a 9-3 record and 1.74 ERA that seem certain to land him on the American League All-Star team that will be announced Sunday. His season includes an AL-record streak of 10 straight starts of six or more innings with at least seven strikeouts and two or fewer earned runs.
He insists he doesn’t look at his body of work — with “genuinely” no clue about his stats — because he is laser-focused on improving something with each start. The repeated success is a by-product.
“I think what might be leading to the success is the consistency that I’ve tried to take each day,” he said. “Just the preparation, the willingness to make adjustments and work. And not settle.
“This is a really tough game. The second I think you take your foot off the gas, people jump you. I want to keep getting better and keep moving forward and help this team win a lot of ballgames.”
Starry-eyed
Top pitching prospect Taj Bradley was named to the American League team for the July 16 All-Star Futures Game, joining infielder Curtis Mead as Rays representatives. Bradley is 3-1, 1.65 in 14 starts for Double-A Montgomery, striking out 76 in 65-1/3 innings and allowing just a .186 average. Mead, a native of Australia, is hitting .294 with 11 homers, 40 RBIs and a .920 OPS in 63 games between Montgomery and Triple-A Durham. ”We are very happy Curtis and Taj are receiving this honor,” Rays vice president Carlos Rodriguez said. “They are deserving of their selection given their seasons to date, and we are proud to have them represent the Rays organization.”
Miscellany
Brandon Lowe was hit on the helmet in first at-bat for Durham Thursday and then removed from the game before his second for likely precautionary reasons at the start of a roughly two-week rehab assignment; he had been out since mid-May with a low back issue. … While the Rays enjoyed Thursday off (after a post-3 a.m. arrival from Boston), the Reds were working, hosting the Pirates in a day-night doubleheader of makeup games. … Yandy Diaz has a .488 average (20-for-41) with eight multi-hit games and nine walks during a career-high 11-game hitting streak. ... Corey Kluber on Wednesday became the second Rays pitcher to throw six or more innings at Fenway Park while allowing no runs or walks. The other? Andy Sonnanstine (Sept. 10, 2008).
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